This first appeared in the AdNews print magazine. You can read it all below but if you want it as soon as it goes to press, you better subscribe here.
Best mates, Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett have been named Young Australians of the Year. These two enterprising Aussies were recognised for an idea very similar to something you’d see in a good episode of The Council. Nic and Lucas have built a mobile laundry to help the homeless or those in a crisis.
Orange Sky Laundry began cruising the streets in 2014 and has since expanded to five vans, operated by close to 300 volunteers.
The laundry’s vans are fitted with two commercial washing machines and two large dryers. They service nearly 40 locations, washing and drying over 350 loads of laundry each week.
These two young blokes, only 12 months out of high school, kicked off an operation that’s cleaning the clothes of the homeless in cities all around the country. Hats off to them for bringing a dose of dignity to homelessness.
They believe we’re all entitled to clean clothes and conversation. Perhaps the chatter around the washing machine is as rewarding as dry clothes.
I heard Nic and Lucas interviewed and they said something that struck me. “It’s just what we do.”
They were talking about growing up in families where the act of helping the less fortunate in the community was an everyday occurrence. Talking about helping as opposed to doing something that helps takes different amounts of sweat.
It’s easy to lose interest in ideas that exist only as conversation. Easier still to lose time on concepts that are sitting around waiting to be picked up by the scruff of the neck and made.
I'd argue it's potentially more beneficial to see the beta versions of great ideas fail than to watch an over-crafted idea please a small audience.
And while you're questioning an idea's potential because it’s been sitting in your out tray too long, Nic and Lucas are watching their idea gather momentum as it starts to make a big difference to people’s lives.
To them it's not really about selling an idea because they don't see themselves as needing approval. Solving the problem is all the approval they need.
Coincidentally, one of the guys was running late for the Australian of the Year ceremony because he’s was helping his mother on a project in Cambodia.
Perhaps 'getting it done' is easier when 'getting it done' runs in the family – from top to bottom.
Michael Knox is chief creative officer of Grey Group Australia.